Saturday, June 9, 2012

Riot started for using Mosque water by a Hindu boy. Six dead. Thirty Injured.

Hindu News Agency: Lucknow : 07-06-2012:: The
recent Mathura Riot between Hindu Jats and Muslims caused a serious
violence was not properly reported in the media. The death toll in the
clashes in Kosi Kalan town in Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh, has
shot up to six. Over 30 persons were also injured in the clashes, which
flared up on Friday, 1st June 2011, reportedly ‘after a pedestrian
used water meant for some religious purpose’, leading to a heated
argument followed by the clashes between two communities. It has been
reported by our source that when people were doing ablution (Wadzu)
near the local mosque for Juma Prayer, a Hindu- Jat boy began using
the water ignorantly from water pot from where Namazis were taking
water. That Hindu boy had an urgent need to use that water after
responding a nature’s call in a nearby off spot. The people snubbed him
and beat him seriously.

That Hindu-Jat boy returned to his
village and very soon, hundreds came up in lorries and when people were
offering prayer in the mosque, they waited upto the completion of the
ongoing Namaz and wanted justice for the beaten Hindu boy used Mosque
Water ignorantly. The Namazi Mobs heard nothing and started throwing
stones on them from the mosque, they also started attacking with lathis
and swords. The Hindu Jat people protested and retaliated vehemently and
trashed the Talibani Mentality of the hooligans of Kosi Kalan areas.
The Riots flared up rapidly in the adjacent places.

As Muslims treat all non Muslims as
Kaffirs (kuffār – Infidels) and Kaffirs are of Unholy (Napak) texture,
the bastard Namazi Muslims started beating with all intolerance, an
innocent boy who used some water from a Mosque source and digged a new
well of communal tension.

Police said at least two dozen, houses, shops, temporary shops, vehicles were set to fire in the town, about 45 km from here.

The injured have been hospitalised in
Mathura, Agra and Faridabad. A posse of PAC personnel and police have
been deployed at the troubled areas.

The
entire troubled area has been divided into two zones and six sectors,
with the SDM and police circle officer as in-charge of each sector, as
told by ADG Jagmohan Yadav. . Extra picket has been posted at sensitive
spots, Yadav also said.

The police in the state has in the past
faced allegations of so-called bias against minorities during
Hindu-Muslim riots. Among the four dead, a youth Islamuddin
was killed with bullet injury. The riot could be a cause of worry for
the newly installed SP government in UP. Amongst injured there is a Muslim woman also as reports came in.

Bhura and Kallua,
the twin victims of the riots, were beaten up by a mob and allegedly
thrown into a burning shop while on their way to hospital. Apart from
the two 22-year-olds, Sonu, 22, and Salauddin, 24, were among the dead.

A delegation of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind led
by its all India secretary Mohammed Ahmed along with another secretary
Md. Shafi Madani and Welfare Part of India’s General Secretary Dr.
S.Q.R. Ilyas also visited the riot affected areas for providing
immediate relief to the affected families and brining normality. They
found situation very pathetic at Muslim locality.

The Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama
Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari has accused, Akhilesh Yadav’s led SP
government in Uttar Pradesh of taking late action in the
Mathura communal riots and said he would rethink on supporting the party
in the forthcoming municipal elections and 2014 general polls.

“Neither the Chief Minister (Akhilesh
Yadav) nor (SP chief) Mulayam Singh (Yadav) visited the site to see the
first hand account of what had happened in the Kosi kalan in Mathura two
days ago”

He alleged that alleged that the riots were “pre-planned” and the
government was not taking any strong action against the rioters.
“The Muslims voted for the Samajwadi Party in the state assembly
elections and now Muslims are at the losing end…their morale is
breaking,” he said in Agra while trying to go to Kosi kalan to meet the
victims of violence. He however was refused permission to go the
riot-hit town.
Bukhari also demanded adequate compensation for the riot victims.

The
state government on Wednesday admitted on the floor of the assembly
that the recent clash in Mathura was an utter failure on part of the
administration and promised that action would be taken against the
guilty after an impartial inquiry.

“We vehemently condemned the communal
riots, resulting in four deaths and injuries to over 50, besides loss of
property in Koshi Kalan area of Mathura district,” parliamentary
affairs minister Azam Khan said while replying on an adjournment notice
in the House. “We are ashamed of this incident and its occurrence within
two months is a great challenge for the government,” he said, adding
that it was a matter of grave concern.

The clashes could have been nipped in the
bud if the district administration had acted promptly and swiftly, he
said. No doubt, officials had been transferred from Mathura, but that
was not enough, as deterrent action was needed to be taken against
guilty officials in order to discourage the recurrence of such incidents
in the future.

For this purpose, he said an impartial
inquiry would be conducted to fix the accountability of officials and
identify all those responsible for flaring up the clash, he said, while
rejecting the opposition’s demand for an inquiry by a sitting high court
judge into the incident.

Earlier, members belonging to Congress,
RLD and BJP alleged laxity on the part of the district administration in
handling the situation. Raising the issue, Hukum singh of BJP said that
timely action would have prevented the situaiton.

Thakur Tejpal Singh, RLD MLA from Kosi
Kalan, also blamed a former BSP minister Chaudhry Laxami Narain for
instigating people and said a minor issue which could have been solved
was ignited in order to gain political mileage in the coming local
bodies’ elections.

Leader of the Opposition Swami Prasad
Maurya said one of those named in the FIR, brother of the former
minister, was present in the Vidhan Parishad of which he is a member and
apprehended that his name could have been dragged into it as part of a
conspiracy.

Earlier, during question hour session,
the government today said that it had asked the Centre to increase the
BPL quota for the state by permitting the inclusion of more poor
families under the scheme.

The Uttar Pradesh government today
condemned communal riots in Mathura earlier this month which left four
people dead and promised to punish the guilty after an impartial
inquiry.

Parliamentary
Affairs Minister Azam Khan, while replying on an adjournment notice in
the state Assembly on communal riot in Kosi Kalan area of Mathura said
the incident was not an honour for the government and termed it as a
challenge for the new government.

Promising an impartial inquiry, he
assured the members that the responsibility of safety to every life and
property there would be that of the district administration.

Khan, however, rejected the demand for an inquiry by a sitting high court judge into the incident as demanded by the opposition.

Some officials of the affected area have been transferred to other places to put new officials thereto.

It is significant that the Jat Hindus
always retaliate over the Muslim encroachment upon their
society frequently which dismantles the theory of Islamic UP by the
secularist and Muslim force in Uttar Ptradesh.

In the following video, young women in the Swiss city of Basel are
interviewed about their concerns over the recent wave of gang rapes in
the city. As in so many similar MSM stories, the possible role played by
cultural enrichment in the increased number of rapes is not mentioned,
nor even hinted at.

I have no idea what the incidence of immigrant crime might be in Basel — maybe our Swiss readers can supply some statistics.

Many thanks to Michael Laudahn for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:

A full transcript is below the jump:

00:00

In recent weeks, a lot of rapes have taken place in Basel. How do you feel now when you move around Basel?

00:07

Honestly, I feel rather insecure, especially when going out,

00:13

so I always try to be there where there are many people,

00:15

and really try to avoid unfamiliar places where someone might stand,

00:21

so yes, I do have some fear.

00:23

I feel, honestly speaking, um, I'm never sure where I should go,

00:29

because the rapes have taken place not far from my business.

00:33

We just can no longer go out, that's the bad thing, I would say.

00:37

Well, I feel quite insecure when I'm outside alone,

00:41

when I'm with colleagues it's different,

00:42

then I know someone is near who could help me,

00:47

but all on my own, I would not dare to go out at night.

00:52

I
sure am afraid to some degree, when I return home late from going out, I
ride home rather quickly on my bike. It's become worse.

00:59

Have you yourself also been in a situation where you didn't feel well, maybe because someone stared at you, or...?

01:06

Yes, several times, but I just left quickly.

01:11

There were also cases when I was riding the tram and got molested,

01:16

best is not to say anything, because as a woman, against 3 or 4 men there is nothing you can do.

01:20

I start to find it trivial that we even in Switzerland don't have the freedom to move anymore. Bad.

01:28

It's just the entire environment. I don't really feel so good in Basel.

01:35

Would it be a reason for you to stay home if you knew you would have to return on your own?

01:41

Definitely. I often make sure that all we colleagues go home together,

01:46

otherwise I make sure to get to town by car, thereby I avoid having to walk alone to the tram.

01:54

I wouldn't go down to the Rhine river [which runs through Basel] even if people were with me,

02:01

just as a general rule, you shouldn't be around all on your own.

02:05

Or if you are where there aren't many people - you just shouldn't be around alone.

02:10

I would probably reflect thoroughly what way to take home,

02:14

but this may not protect me either.

02:16

Maybe when we read such things we probably start worrying.

02:21

It probably also plays a part how we arrange things, if we are around alone,

02:27

make sure that you are in company when going out, especially during the night.

02:32

Maybe self-conscience would eradicate,

02:36

or maybe if we knew we could defend ourselves,

02:39

maybe this would help,

02:41

but if we then end up in such a situation, I don't know if we could implement what we have learned.

02:48

If one is targeting you, you have no chance - no matter what clothes you wear.

KUALA
LUMPUR, June 8 — Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan is seeking
damages from Putrajaya for allegedly violating her constitutional rights
over the April 28 electoral reform rally, in a countersuit filed at the
High Court this morning.
The prominent lawyer-activist accused the Najib administration of
abusing its power in ordering the police and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall
(DBKL) to block the sit-down rally from taking place in the national
capital, which she said would have been as peaceful as those held
elsewhere in the country.
Last month, Putrajaya took the unprecedented step of suing Ambiga and
nine other Bersih steering committee members, as the rally organisers,
for damages worth RM122,000.
“The plaintiff, whether acting through its agencies (including the
police, DBKL and mass media) or otherwise, wilfully and deliberately
took all measures to prevent or thwart the holding of the assembly by
Bersih at Dataran Merdeka on 28th April,” Ambiga said in her statement
of defence and counterclaim, which was made available to The Malaysian Insider.
She added: “It follows that the sole cause for the way in which the
assembly in Kuala Lumpur on 28th April unfolded was due to the conduct
of the police, for which the plaintiff, as employer, is liable in law.”

The police had no reason to mobilise so heavily for the rally, according to Ambiga.

Ambiga
said the newly-enforced Peaceful Assembly Act does not “expressly or
impliedly” empower the federal government to sue for damages to public
property as it is “not a member of the class of persons intended to be
protected under the Act”.
She also said the demonstrators who took part in the rally did so as
“free agents” and that neither she nor Bersih as the organisers were
liable for events that happened after she had announced it over at
2.40pm and asked them to disperse.
Conversely, the police had a “positive duty in law” to ensure that
lawful assemblies could take place, which she accused them of having
failed.
“The police had wilfully and deliberately started using water
cannons, firing tear gas and then taunting, mocking and provoking the
people present and carrying out other acts of intimidation and violence
against persons who were in the process of dispersing,” she said in her
statement.
The decorated former Bar Council president pointed out that the
authorities had been aware of Bersih’s plan from early on to hold a
peaceful public sit-down demonstration at the city’s historic Dataran
Merdeka, based on the election watchdog’s press releases on April 5 and
further official letters to the mayor and police dated April 16 — more
than a week before the event.
She pointed out that DBKL had rejected Bersih’s request for Dataran
Merdeka without offering an alternative venue, noting that the decision
ran counter to the federal territory’s local government by-laws.
DBKL’s move to offer Stadium Merdeka — Bersih’s venue of choice for
the July 9 rally last year — as an alternative was only made at a
meeting on April 25, three days before the demonstration, she said.
Ambiga said Bersih had to turn it down due to the “extremely short notice”.
“However, Bersih made it clear (and had at all times made it clear)
that they were ready to co-operate with the authorities to ensure a
peaceful assembly.
“At no time did either the police or DBKL call for a meeting to
discuss the logistics of the assembly,” she said in her statement.
The police had also rejected Bersih’s bid to carry out the assembly
without providing a reason, Ambiga said, adding that it was “wrong in
law”.
“Although it was public knowledge by at least 5th April that Bersih
was holding an assembly in Kuala Lumpur on 28th April, the police,
acting in bad faith and wrongfully, made the application for the said
Magistrate’s order on an ex-parte basis a mere two days before the
assembly and served only one day before the assembly, thereby denying
the First Defendant an opportunity of opposing the granting of the said
Order or applying to set it aside.”

People look at a police patrol car that was flipped onto its side, in Kuala Lumpur April 28, 2012.

She
said the police also had no “objective reasons” to assemble a large
force in the city on the day of the rally and “no legal grounds” to
erect barbed-wire barricades encircling Dataran Merdeka to prevent
anyone from accessing the public square.
Ambiga is also challenging assembly law’s constitutionality, specifically Section 6, for restricting her right to assemble.
The government filed its suit against Ambiga last May 23 under
Section 6(2)(g) of the law, which states that organisers must “ensure
that the assembly will not endanger health or cause damage to property
or the environment.”
“The plaintiff charges that the defendants failed to carry out their
statutory responsibility when the assembly went out of control and
turned into a riot, causing damage to vehicles owned by the plaintiff,”
the writ said.
The government’s statement of claims lists 15 vehicles, mostly
belonging to the police, that had to be repaired at a cost of RM122,000.
The government also wants general damages, interest and a declaration that Bersih breached Section 6(2)(g) of the assembly law.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had said when tabling the law
in Parliament last year that it would be “revolutionary” and allow
Malaysians to participate in public gatherings “in accordance with
international norms.”
The case is set for mention on June 13 before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Justice Prasad Sandosham Abraham.
The April 28 rally that saw tens of thousands gather at six different
locations before heading to Dataran Merdeka was peaceful until about
2.30pm when Ambiga asked the crowd to disperse.
But her call was not heard by most of the crowd who persisted around
the historic square, which the courts had already barred to the public
over the weekend.
Just before 3pm, some protestors breached the barricade surrounding
the landmark, leading police to disperse the crowd with tear gas and
water cannons.
Police then continued to pursue the rally-goers down several streets
amid chaotic scenes that saw violence from both sides over the next four
hours.
Several dozen demonstrators have claimed that they were assaulted by
groups of over 10 policemen at a time and visual evidence appears to
back their claim but police also point to violence from rally-goers who
also attacked a police car.
The police car then crashed into a building before some protestors flipped it on its side.

Speaking to FMT after the trial, Uthayakumar’s co-counsel M Manoharan who made the application yesterday said Ahmad did not provide grounds for denying the recusal application.

“The judge only said that there are no merits for the application and ordered for the sedition trial to continue,” said Manoharan .

This is not the first time the trial judge refused to recuse. In 2009, Uthayakumar also failed to get Sessions Court judge Sabariah Othman to recuse herself from the case.

This case was first heard in 2009 after the police charged him under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act which carries a maximum RM5,000 fine or three years jail, or both, on conviction.

Uthayakumar claimed trial after posting a letter that was deemed as having seditious tendency dated Nov 15, 2007.

The letter that was addressed to former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown described clashes that turned into racial tension in Kampung Medan, Petaling Jaya as ‘ethnic killing’.

The prosecution team is led by deputy public prosecutor Noorin Badawi and PG Cyril.

Noorin yesterday applied to the court for more time so that she can make submissions on why the court should restrict Uthayakumar from counter questioning prosecution witness.

“We would like to make submissions to the court based on Sections 138 and 152 of the Evidence Act and prolix cross examination,” said Noorin.

Section 138 refers to order of examination and direction of re-examination on witnesses. Section 152 states that the court shall forbid any questions that appears to be insulting or annoying and needlessly offensive in form.

Prolix cross examination refers to tedious, prolonged, excessively lengthy and and too long questioning which is deemed unnecessary.

They’ll do this unless Najib agrees to channel budget funds directly to them.

KUALA LUMPUR: Governors of Tamil schools today pleaded with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to channel government allocations directly to the schools instead of through the Public Works Department (PWD).

R Kannan, who chairs the Committee of Tamil School Boards of Governors, told reporters the various school boards had agreed to bar PWD officials, workers or representatives from all Tamil schools if the government remained adamant about distributing the 2012 budget allocations through the department.

The 2012 budget set aside RM100 million for partially aided Tamil schools from a total of RM1 billion allocated for upgrading the infrastructure of primary schools.

Kannan said it was unfair of the government to treat Tamil schools differently from Chinese, missionary and religious schools, which get their funds directly.

He said his committee was concerned with overpricing by PWD.

“Cost estimates set by PWD are really absurd,” he said. “For example, in the case of Highland Tamil School, the department has fixed RM3.8 million for an additional building with 18 classrooms. This means each classroom costs around RM210,000, which is really too much.”

According to Kannan, parents who built the school two years ago, spent only RM350,000 for six classrooms.

Kannan also informed reporters that nearly 75% of Tamil schools had appointed governing boards.

“So, it would not be a headache for the government to allocate the funds directly to the boards. They are the authorised parties in the matter of land and infrastructure in partially aided schools.”

“The boards also have the right to prohibit PWD from entering the school,” he added.

He urged Najib to take the plea seriously if he did not want to be accused of enriching BN cronies in the matter of school infrastructure projects.

The Selangor government wonders if the DPM will have the gumption to declare PTPTN's reversal as an unfair move.

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor government challenged the deputy prime minister if he had the courage to
term the decision to unfreeze national higher education (PTPTN) loans as unfair.

Muhyiddin Yassin previously described the widely-criticised move to freeze loans for students at two Selangor-run tertiary institutions as fair.

Faekah Hussin, the political secretary to Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, claimed that the deputy premier’s “malicious” endorsement was akin to shooting himself in the foot.

She also alleged that both Muhyiddin and Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin, who hailed from Johor, were in a state of confusion.

“This is because Johor, which has been the stronghold of Umno, is now the main target of Pakatan Rakyat and in the coming general election, Pakatan will ensure that Johor is no longer a safe deposit for Umno and BN,” she added in a statement.

According to Faekah, PTPTN had reversed its decision because of the intense pressure from within BN and from external quarters.

“Or perhaps Khaled realised that the freeze was tantamount to digging his own grave and that of Umno’s,” she added.

The higher education minister had said that the move was in response to Pakatan’s claim that it would abolish PTPTN and provide free education if it formed the federal government.

However, the freeze was criticised by MIC and MCA leaders as well as Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, who argued that the students’ future should not be put at risk due to a political tussle.

PTPTN chairman Ismail Mohamed Said, who confirmed the lifting of the loan suspension, said the freeze was lifted because the Selangor government was seen as not able to provide free education in the state.

The decision came despite the state government stating that it would liquidate assets worth about RM30 million in order to help students whose loans had been frozen.

‘Thank you for failing Najib’

Meanwhile, Faekah said the move to freeze the loans was an extreme form of discrimination practiced by the federal government against the state government, which ran foul of the Federal Constitution which guaranteed equal education rights for all.

“This cruel action was excessive and unprecedented in the nation’s history.

“It also shows that Umno and BN have shifted their focus to defending the federal government as they are losing hope of retaking Selangor in the next polls,” she added.

Recapturing Selangor, which fell into the hands of the opposition in 2008, was considered a top priority for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who headed the state Umno chapter.

On a sarcastic note, Faekah expressed gratitude to Khaled, who she said was tipped to replace Abdul Ghani Othman as the next menteri besar of Johor, Muhyiddin and Selangor Umno deputy chief Noh Omar for failing Najib’s transformation plan.

“After this Khaled will be made the scapegoat for the defeat of Umno/BN, a similar fate which befell former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo,” she added.

Noh was also included in the list because the agriculture and agro-based industries minister had responded to the freeze by asking PKR to admit making a mistake over its free education plan or the students would suffer.

Najib had thus far remained silent on the matter, prompting speculations that Khaled could have acted on his own, with the blessings of Muhyiddin.

This, according to observers, further strengthened the rumours of a rift between Umno’s top two leaders

“That’s
right. We clamp a live monkey in that hole in the middle of the table.
Then we slice open the skull and pour brandy into the skull after which
we light it up and fry the brain while the monkey struggles and squeals.
Oh, I forgot, you don’t take liquor.”

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

“Are you ready to order, sir?”

“Yes. What is the speciality of the house?”

“Our deep-fried roast pork skin is the talk of the town.”

“No, no pork. I am a Muslim. I don’t eat pork.”

“Okay. No pork then. Why not try our duck cooked in wine? That is also our speciality.”

“No, no wine also. Muslims can’t take liquor.”

“Well,
the duck won’t taste as nice cooked in Coca-Cola. Okay, our other
speciality is monkey brain. Ours is the best outside Hong Kong.”

“Monkey brain?”

“That’s
right. We clamp a live monkey in that hole in the middle of the table.
Then we slice open the skull and pour brandy into the skull after which
we light it up and fry the brain while the monkey struggles and squeals.
Oh, I forgot, you don’t take liquor.”

“It’s not only the liquor. I also don’t eat monkeys, especially the brains of live monkeys, fried or otherwise.”

“Alright. Do you eat dogs then?”

“No, no dogs.”

“Okay, then I take it you don’t eat cats either.”

“No cats.”

“Squirrels?”

“No.”

“Try our snake then. We slit the snake from head to tail and garnish it with a special…”

“No, no snake.”

“Anteater?”

“Anteater? No.”

“You
said no pork. But now it looks like no pork and hundreds of other
things as well. This is going to go on forever. Why not just tell me
what you can eat. That would be easier and faster.”

“Okay. I can eat beef, lamb and chicken.”

“Alright. Our sizzling beef is the best in town. Or you can try our steamed chicken or charcoaled lamb. Or try all three.”

“I’ll try your streamed chicken.”

“Okay, half or quarter chicken?”

“Half should be okay. But is it halal chicken?”

“It is the normal chicken with wings and feathers.”

“No, I mean is it properly slaughtered?”

“Of course. We never cook the chicken while it is still alive. We kill it first.”

“I mean, how do you kill it?”

“We cut of its head with a chopper.”

“Is it done the Muslim way?”

“The Muslim way?”

“Yes, with prayers.”

“The chickens can’t pray.”

“Not the chickens, the person who kills the chickens. Do they pray as they kill the chicken?”

“I don’t think so. Most times they are listening to music on their iPod.”

“Oh, then it is not halal. I suppose the beef and lamb would be the same then. Maybe I will just order the fish.”

“Okay, the fish then. You have no problems how the fish is killed?”

“No, no problems. But hold on. How do you cook it?”

“Steamed, fried, any way you like.”

“No, I mean do you cook it in the same pots and pans that you cook the pork and all those other things.”

“Yes.”

“You don’t have separate pots and pans for the fish?”

“No.”

“Oh, then it would be contaminated by the pork.”

“If that is a problem I can always serve the fish raw, something like Japanese Sushi.”

“No, it won’t taste so nice. Maybe I will just have the vegetables, raw, not cooked.”

“Okay.
But why did you not just go to the vegetarian restaurant next door
then? It looks like it is not just no pork but no everything other than
vegetables.”

“Yes, I suppose it is not so much what I don’t want but what I do want, which is almost nothing.”

GENEVA
(7 June 2012) – A group of United Nations human rights experts called
on the Government of Malaysia and other parties involved to respect and
protect the legitimate work of an umbrella group of NGOs campaigning for
reform of the electoral process in the lead-up to the general election,
scheduled to take place by April 2013.

The
UN independent experts on human rights defenders, freedom of peaceful
assembly and freedom of expression urged the authorities to protect
effectively one of the directors of the Coalition for Clean and Fair
Elections (Bersih), Ambiga Sreenevasan, and other Bersih members,
against acts of harassment and intimidation by various groups of
individuals.

Ms.
Sreenevasan has been the subject of credible threats against her life
in the past months. She has been labelled by various groups as an enemy
of the State and a traitor, who should be expelled from the country,
because of her advocacy work with Bersih calling for reform of the
electoral process. Effigies of Ms. Sreenevasan were also burned.
Recently she had to cancel her participation in a public event because
of fears for her safety.

“I
am seriously concerned by these disturbing acts of harassment against a
prominent woman human rights defender who is being targeted because of
her legitimate human rights activities in Malaysia,” said the UN Special
Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya. “I urge the
authorities to investigate thoroughly these allegations, hold the
perpetrators accountable, and effectively protect Ms. Sreenevasan, and
more generally, Bersih members.”

“I
am seriously concerned by these disturbing acts of harassment against a
prominent woman human rights defender who is being targeted because of
her legitimate human rights activities in Malaysia,” said the UN Special
Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya. “I urge the
authorities to investigate thoroughly these allegations, hold the
perpetrators accountable, and effectively protect Ms. Sreenevasan, and
more generally, Bersih members.”

In
addition, Ms. Sreenevasan, together with other organizers from the
Bersih Steering Committee, has been sued by the federal Government in
relation to property which was allegedly damaged during a rally
organized by the coalition last April.

“Holding
assembly organizers liable for the alleged unlawful conduct of others
is not compatible with standards governing the right to freedom of
peaceful assembly, and has a detrimental effect on the exercise of this
right,” stressed the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of
peaceful assembly and of opinion, Maina Kiai. “I urge the Government of
Malaysia to withdraw the complaint against her.”

“The
Government of Malaysia should fully guarantee the right to freedom of
opinion and expression of those advocating for electoral reform, and
should ensure a safe and conducive environment for journalists and those
monitoring and reporting on demonstrations”, emphasized the Special
Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of
opinion and expression, Frank La Rue. “The rights to freedom of opinion,
expression and peaceful assembly are fundamental pillars of democracy.”

“In
view of the urgency and recurrence of the situation,” Mr. Kiai and Ms.
Sekaggya added, “we would like to remind the Government of our requests
to visit the country, which we believe will contribute to the
realization of the rights in question in accordance with international
human rights standards.”

As they say, a picture paints a thousand words – in this case a photo of two books.

Photograph: Doris Liew

This photo was spotted on the Facebook site of Doris Liew, who writes:

Spotted this on display in a book shop – how appropriate –
Najib : “Nation on his mind, People in his heart” … next to it (Kee
Thuan Chye’s) “No more bulls… please, we’re all Malaysians”. Wonder if
the books were placed in such a way on purpose?